Clutch



Sept. 22, 1931. w, HALLDEN CLUTCH Filed April 21. 1928 INVENTOR [we MMfl BYM:

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 193.1

UNITED-7'.STATES KARL- WILLIAM HALLDEN, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT;ASSIGNOB, iBY lIESNE assrepmnn'rs, "1:0. STEEL Ann or OHIO (192s)Application filed A ril 21,

' This invention relates to clutches and is particularly concerned witha clutch which is instantaneous in operation, is adapted to withstandheavy duty and severe usage, is inexpensive to construct and to maintainin working condition and is adaptable to use with single revolutiondevices for severing an article moving at a high rate of speed intopieces of substantially uniform lengths.

' In the drawings accompanying and forming apart of this specificationand in which one form of apparatus embodying my inven: tion is shown, i

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview, I Fig. 2 is a transverse view, partly insection, taken on line 22 of Fi 4, J r

Fig. 3 is a sectional view ta en on line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 4 is a'sectional view taken on substantiallythe line 44 of Fig. 1,and 4 n Fig. 5,is a section taken about on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a clutch housing 1 drivenby a gear 2, secured thereto as by one or more shear pins 3 and extendedto form a sleeve 4 through which a shaft 5 may extend: This housing isfitted with an annulus 6 of material harden, than the rollers presentlyto be described.

A disc 7 is disposed in the housing 1 and is keyed to theshaft 5 withits periphery spaced apart from the inner surface of the annulus. Theedge of this disc is provided with a plurality of notches 8 formed bysubstantially, radial stop surfaces 9 and bottom surfaces 10 incliningupwardly at one or more angles to the stop surface 9 as more clearlyshown in Fig. 2. Inserts 11 of a material harder than the material ofthe rollers and the annulus 6 are positioned in the bottom of thenotches at the points where the rollers are to be pinched between theannulus and the disc. The inserts 11 are held in place in the disc bymeans of keys 11a.

A hollow cylindrical basket 12 'carriesa plurality of rollers 13 looselycaged therein and projecting beyond the inner and outer surfaces of thebasket, this basket bein (11S- 60 posed between the annulus 6 and the 7preferably corresponding to the hardness of.

'rUBFs, memos CLEVELAND, 01:10, a conronanon cwrcn' i928. Serial no.271,718. I i f -with the rollers disposed in the notches of x v V thedisc and. engageable withtheinner surface of the annulus and theinclined surfaces of the notches of the disc.

A coil spring 14 surroundsjthe shaft 5 and .has one end secured tothe,basket and the other end secured to a cap 15 enclosing the end ofthe basket and secured tothe 'shaft 5. The dowel'pin 16 on the cap l5may be set in any one of several dowel pin holes 17 in the end of thehub portionof the disc 7 by means of which adjustment of the tension ofthe spring on the basketmay be controlled.

' The spring 14 is so coiled as to urge rotation of the basket in adirection to carry the rollers (35 -13 to the points on the discoccupiedby the f inserts 11 where the rollers will'be' pinched between the discand annulus. When the rollers arepinched between the disc and annulus,driving force will betransmitted from p i the housing through therollers to the disc and thence'to the shaft. A bearing ring 19 isinterposed between the disc and basket to allow for easy relativemovement of the two parts when the coil spring is brought into 7 action.

tinue its f i'otar'y movement until the deeper parts of the notches passunder the rollers and the pinched engagement of the rollers between theannulus and'disc is broken. The rollers can move radially in the'basketsufli- 1 eiently far to clear the-annulus 6 when'the rollers are 'innotches, p g

It will be understood from the "foregoing description that the: clutchis capable of practically instantaneous actuation du'e to the the deeperportions of the adjustable tension on the spring 14; and also r that.whendzhe annulus and inserts in the disc are much harder thanthejrollers, the rollers will be freely and instantly engageable withand disengageable fromthe disc and annulus even under "severe operatingconditions; and

if the rollers are scratched or worn sulficiently to impair theireffectiveness, they may be quickly andainexpensively replaced. I havefound that rollers, composed of a hard bronze, smooth and polish thesurfaces of the harder annulus and inserts to a remarkable extent andmake the device substantially instantaneous and uniformly positive inoperation. It will further be noted that the rollers are all actuatedinto and out of pinched engagement simultaneously and by a single meansand are not dependent for such actuation on a plurality of independent-1y acting means.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed:

1. The combination with a 'shaft of a notched, disc keyed to an endthereof, a

rotatably mounted clutch housing surrounding said disc a basket carryinga plurality of rollers said rollers being interposed between said clutchhousing and said disc and arranged to provide a driving connectiontherebetween, said basket includin a cylindrical flange rojectingoutwardly rom said disc, a cap a justably secured to the end of saidshaft and closing the end of said basket, and a spring secured to saidbasket and said cap and housed therewithin.

2. In combination, a shaft,aa sleeve keyed to an end thereof and havinga notched disc spaced from the ends .of the sleeve and shaft,

a clutch housing surrounding said disc, a,

cylindrical basket surrounding and aced. from'said sleeve and carrying aplurality of locking rollers interposed between said disc and housingand arranged to provide a driving connection therebetween, a cap'secured from said sleeve and carrying a pluralityof q lockingrollersinterposed between said disc and housin and arranged to provide adriv- I ing connectlon therebetween, a cap disposed at the ends of saidshaft and said sleeve, said cap bearing in said basket to close andsupport the same and including a flange overlapping the end of saidbasket, a spring withto the end of said shaft and bearing in the,

end of said basket to close and support the same, and a sprin connectedto said basket and said cap, the atter being adjustable to vary thetenslon of the s ring.

3. In combination a s aft, a sleeve keyed to an end thereof and having anotched disc spaced from the ends of the sleeve and shaft, a clutchhousing surrounding said disc, a cylindrical basket surrounding and s'aced from said sleeve and carrying a plurahty of locking rollersinterposed between said disc ing connect on therebetween,,a cap osed atthe ends of said shaft and said s eeve,

support the. same and including a flange overlappmdg the endof saidbasket, a spring withm sai basket and connected thereto and to said capsaid shaft assembledrelation on said shaft;

- 4, In combination, a shaft, a sleeve keyed to an end thereof andhaving a notcheddisc paced from the ends of the sleeve and shaft, aclutch housing surrounding said disc, 8.

andme'ans securing said cap to to hold saidisleeve and basket insaid capto said sleeve for rotation there.-

and housing and'arranged to provide a drivsaid cap; bearing in saidbasket to close and 65 cylindrical basket surrounding and spaced

